


The Other Wheel

by goodbothtimes



Series: The Other Wheel [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: M/M, Minor Injuries, rhink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 02:20:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4688837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodbothtimes/pseuds/goodbothtimes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rhett & Link recreate the wheel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Other Wheel

After the fourth rubber band had sailed past his head, Link closed his laptop.

"Are you bored, Rhett?"

"Nope. Just wanna take your eye out." Replied the other man as he lined up another shot, pulling back hard on the band. "Take off your goggles man."

"My glasses?" Link gave him his long suffering dad look, "Have you finished the notes for tomorrow?"

"Nearly. Come on man, I'm aiming for the left one, cause I don’t have to look at that one during filming. I don't wanna see it all bleedin' and hangin out on your face by the stalk."

“Rhett, I'm not gonna let ya," sighed Link as he made air quotes, "Take an eye out. 'Specially if it's mine. If you're bored why don't you make sure everything’s locked up?"

"I gotta finish my notes." replied Rhett dejectedly with an exaggerated sad face causing Link to laugh despite himself.

Every week they would spend at least one night at work until late. Occasionally with the crew catching up on filming, more often just the two of them as it had been at the very beginning way back in North Carolina. Normally on Thursday night, because that still left one more workday to action any brilliant ideas they came up with.

One or the other of them was usually off task an hour before they were due to finish. Very often both of them. This week it seemed to be Rhett's turn.

"Give me strength, man. How about we just come in earlier tomorrow and tidy whatever up? It's nearly time for us to leave anyway." Link noted.

"Are you ready to go?" Rhett asked

"Ah, nearly." Link leaned back in his chair, thinking back over the past few months.

Their relationship was constantly being redefined at the moment. After decades of ignoring their feelings for one another, they had begun to acknowledge and act on them from time to time.

Link tried to remember when they had last kissed though, and couldn't, let alone anything else. Maybe that would settle Rhett down a bit. Or at least stop him trying to inflict permanent damage in the eye area.

"Rhett, why don't you go spin the wheel?"

"Huh?"

"I just had an idea. The way we're gonna end work this week, well tonight in particular. Spin the wheel."

Rhett frowned, but led the way to the gmm set. He stumbled over some cables on the way to the lights. Link waited in the doorway, his night vision a lot worse than Rhett's.

"Just enough to see, don't bother with them all."

Rhett made his way back to the wheel, looking at it without a lot of enthusiasm.

"I dunno if I feel like doin' any of these right now."

"Just spin it. Ya never know, might be fun." replied Link making his way over to Rhett.

The clicking of the wheel was very loud in the virtually empty building.

"Big spin by the big man." Link smiled up at Rhett. He could see he wasn't really on board with this idea yet. "Where do you hope it stops?"

"Uh, Link removes his glasses so Rhett can take his eye out with a rubber band from 3 feet away. AKA: Blood and gore – The musical."

“A tragedy in A-minor.” Link added

They both laughed as they watched the wheel finally begin to slow enough to enable them to track where it might land.

"How about you?" Rhett asked still smiling broadly.

"Hmm. Don't 'spose anyone would have submitted – Rhett makes out with Link on the nearest surface until home time. Without removing either of their eyeballs. AKA: Sex and Videotape – The stage play."

Rhett looked over at Link quickly suddenly very invested in the wheel. "Probably have, but Jen woulda binned it." Both men laughed again.

“She's always ruining our fun.” Link muttered as Rhett looked back watching the wheel finally stop and began to read. "Rhett thinks...."

"Let me read it." Link cut him off and approached the wheel. Tilting his head to the side exaggeratedly as he pointed to the words. "Would you say that's an L or a Y?"

"It's an L. For Linkster."

"OK, I can translate this. It looks like English, but it's actually ancient Rhinklish.” he looked up at Rhett incredulously, “Can you believe that!”

He turned back and pretended to study the wheel again making sure he doesn't laugh, glad to hear Rhett's uncontrolled laughter behind him.

"It says," he squinted at the writing on the wheel, "Hold on, if you just give me a minute. I'm a bit rusty. OK, OK, that's right. It's, ah.... Rhett's choice. Oh! Hold on, there’s a p.s.” 

Link moved closer to the wheel.

“It says, - As long as he chooses .... kissing. Well! You do not see that every day ladies and gentlemen. Oh and Ah um, yep there is a p.s.s It says, it's only allowed to be Link that Rhett's kissing. But aside from that... completely up to Rhett. Um, " Link turned frowning at Rhett in mock confusion. "Isn't that your name?"

“It sure is.” Replied Rhett smiling.

Link extended his hand, “My name's Link.”

\---------------------------------------------

So, every week, towards the end of the evening, they would spin the wheel to find out where the other wheel stopped.

Link, as per usual had taken the whole enterprise very seriously deciding that each spot on the gmm wheel corresponded with a number, which in turn corresponded to a scenario in Link's phone that listed the other wheels wheel endings. He had even permanently marked the back of the gmm wheel to indicate spot 1 so they always knew which was the first position regardless of what was written on the front.

They had spent the following late night working out what some options should be on the wheel, and had a good balance. They had some options for just hanging out having a good time – Making music together. And that's not a corny euphemism, which Link had added in brackets to remind them both. But the music was not allowed to be for any channel videos, just jamming. Watching a movie of the others choice. Go surfing together. Go somewhere new for dinner. General relationship building slash enhancing exercises, which they really didn't need, but wanted. Any time they spent with one another was intimate regardless of the activity.

That being said, there were a lot of options for more adult-related activities as well. Both of them had come up with a variety of scenarios that appealed to them and that the other had agreed to be open to.

Because of the nature of their lives and schedules, they were two weeks behind the spins, giving them plenty of time to arrange any special requirements for the wheel ending. What had started as a way to distract Rhett, had ended up giving them a clear framework to explore their changing relationship.

For the past two spins the wheel had landed on activities they would've often enjoyed regardless, but it gave them permission to allow themselves to take a morning to go surfing, or some time out for a longer lunch, because the other wheel had to be obeyed within 14 days of the spin.

It was Link's turn to spin this week. He stood before the wheel hoping that the it would land on one of the “other” spots. There were statistically more of them. But as was typical of the wheel, none had been landed on in the past two weeks.

Link flicked his wrist, starting the wheel spinning.

Rhett puts his arm around Link's shoulders, pulling the shorter man against him. “I think it's gonna land on 8.”

“Do you remember what that is?” Link asked keeping his eyes glued to the wheel.

“Nope. I think it's a goodie though.”

“I'm kinda looking forward to 12.”

“What's 12?”

“You have to tie me up.”

“Oh, wow. Is that on the wheel?”

“Or 14, I'd like that. I get to beat you.” Link continued.

“Spanking is not beating.”

“We'll see Rhett. We'll see.”

Finally the wheel came to a stop. “Rhett think's Link is the microphone, which seems to be broken.”

“Hmm, that could be the beating one.” Link said.

“Really?”

“Well, only in that if something ain't working, I usually hit it. Bam. Bam, bam.” He looked up at Rhett, both of them laughing. “Or blow it.”

“Including business partners?”

“Oh, I'd hit that.” Both men snigger to one another, while they work out which number the wheel had landed on.

After some discussion on whether the clockwise direction from 1, was from the front or the back of the wheel, they agreed it had landed on number 11.

They crowded around Link's phone, trying to find 11 on the list. Arguing in their usual way who should scroll and which direction the finger needed to move. After much messing about, they finally came to number 11.

“Alright Rhett, well you gotta give me a massage. Of the naked variety.”

“Naked? Did we say that?”

“Yeah. We did. Naked. I don't have to be. You have to be. I can have a towel on, until I wanna take it off. You just get to keep your smile on.”

Rhett laughed pushing Link gently against the nearest surface starting to tickle him. “Keep your smile on. I'll show ya keeping ya smile on, buddy.”

Hilarity ensues for the next ten minutes, rough play fighting, wrestling and tickling, before they accidentally rolled from the desk Rhett had manhandled Link on to a moment before and hit the tiled floor heavily, Link cushioning Rhett's fall with his body, his head connecting firmly with leg of the desk as they came to a stop.

Rhett pushed up quickly, ignoring the aches and pains that made themselves known with each movement.

“Link! Are you alright?”

Link tried to catch his breath. He'd been laughing so hard that he had been struggling to breathe even before the rest had been knocked out of him.

“I was not expecting that.” Link said once he managed to get some air into his lungs. He stayed laying down looking up at Rhett's concerned face. “You alright old fella?”

“You worry 'bout yourself, son. But seriously, Link. Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I ah. I hit my head pretty hard on the way south. And even worse, you squashed my pinky finger.” Link held up his hand that had been trapped between them.

Rhett laughed, and kissed the offered finger, relief flooding through him.

“Come on, let me help you up. We'll see to your head, and I'll make you a hot chocolate?”

“Just let me stay here another minute. I don't feel all that great to be honest.”

“Should I take you to the hospital?” anxiety flowing over him again. “How hard did you hit it?”

“I didn't hit it. The floor did. And then the desk did. And then the floor did again. I dunno, man. I just dinged it. It's fine. Just need a coupla minutes.” He reached out to his best friend. “Lay with me Rhett. Gimmie a hug. I'm hurting here.”

Rhett laid down beside Link, his head cradled on Link's chest, his right arm and leg thrown over the smaller man. Link held him as tightly as he could to his body.

“You're injured. I really should be holding you.”

“Read that on a dating site did ya?”

Rhett laughed into Link's shirt. “Yeah, I did as a matter of fact.” He looked up at his best friend. “Come on man. We can go lay somewhere more comfortable. I wanna check your head.”

“Just stay here with me another minute. You're always in such a hurry.”

If anything, Link was more likely to get anxious about their schedule, directing Rhett where he needed to be, when and why.

“No, Link. I think we need to make sure you're alright and then we can be smoochy if you're up to it.”

“Promise?”

Rhett laughs and kissed his forehead gently. “Yeah I do. Now sit up, Neal.”

They made their way to the kitchen carefully. Rhett helped Link into a chair at the table before continuing on the start sorting a hot drink.

“You want coffee or a hot chocolate?”

“Hot chocolate. I'm hurted.” replied Link while he tentatively explored his head for damage. He winced loudly, pulling his hand away reflexively. “Crap, man. I think I might be bleedin a bit.”

“What?” Rhett rushed around the counter. Grabbing Link's head and moving it this way and that trying to get the light right so he can see if he was bleeding anywhere.

“Be careful, dang. I know you're tryin to help. But, my body's attached to what you're shaking around.”

“I'm sorry.” Rhett sat down heavily next to him. “Where abouts does it hurt a the most?”

“Just on the side here.” He indicated the area just above his left ear along his hairline, without touching the skin.

“It's definitely bruised. Like an egg bein hatched man. I'm gonna have to move your hair a bit. Probably gonna hurt. I can't tell if you're sweating or bleeding.”

“It's fine Rhett, just do what you need.”

They worked out that he was in fact bleeding but the wound was quite small.

“Head wounds always bleed a lot. It's fine.” Link said quietly, feeling nauseous and faint.

Rhett held him, knowing there was a good chance of Link passing out.

“I'm just gonna put my head down. I'm not gonna faint. I'm alright. Where's my drink? I'm hurted.”

He took off his glasses and lay his head on his arm, holding the bandage against his head while watching his best friend fretting in the kitchen. “Do you think we can put of filming tomorrow?”

“If we have to yeah. Don't worry about that for now.” Rhett brought their hot drinks back to the table.

Once they had finished and Rhett had made sure the bleeding had stopped they moved into their office again and lay down on the couch. Rhett lay on his back with Link wedged between him and the back. After falling off a few too many times, this was their preferred position for general cuddling.

“It's a good thing I didn't hit the other side, we woulda had to reassess our whole couch routine.”

“No, you would have. I would have just lay down in the other direction, so you could be on my right side.”

Link laughed, snuggling closer to his best friend. “Ok, that would work I suppose. I'd still have to make sure.”

Rhett rubbed Link's back, closing his eyes and smiling.

They both treasured these times when they could just lay holding one another and talk, or be quiet and relax completely.

“Your heart sounds nice.” Link murmured.

“Does it?”

“Yeah.”

“You still hurted?”

“Yeah.”

“Poor Linkster. You saved my life man, diving under us like that.”

Link shook against Rhett's body with silent laughter. “Yeah, of course. Anything for you Rhett.”

“I didn't think you had it in ya. But there ya were. Wham! Right in there. No consideration for your personal safety. Like a ninja!”

“You know, it was actually my fault. I rolled over and forgot we were up so high. I basically pulled you off the desk with my momentum.”

“You're always jerking me off with your momentum.”

Link started giggling uncontrollably.

“Can't take you anywhere...”

“Stop it. Rhett. God.” Both men breathless with laughter.

“Just trying to go about my day, and there ya are... all up on me, with your momentum jerkin.”

“I need the bathroom man. Please. stop.”

“No tickling then?”

“God, no.”

“You sure...?” Rhett ran his hand along Link's side causing the other man to squirm away in panicked giggling.

“No! Don't!” Link panted, trying to grab Rhett's hands.

“I'm not. You just psyching yourself into thinking I am. I'm just resting my fingers on ya man. Stay still and it won't tickle.”

“No, No.... please. Oh god.”

“Seriously Dude. Stay still.” Laughter filled the room for another ten minutes before Link was freed to use the bathroom.

When Link came back into their office, Rhett was dozing quietly. He set his alarm for an hour and carefully climbed over the other man and slid into the small gap. Resting on his broad chest Link listened to the steady beat of Rhett's heart. He held Rhett tightly and closed his eyes, making up a melody in his mind to match the tempo as he fell asleep.


End file.
